Radius bar



May 10, 1938- E. A. NALCHER ET AL 2,116,809

. RADIUS BAR Filed July 15, 1955 4 ShGGtS-ShGGt l May 10, 1938- E. A. WALCHER ET AL 2,116,809

RADIUS BAR Fil ed Jul 15, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [nUefiZira- Eda/72 (Z. W WQZZEer/JB %k alm' M A May 10, 1938. E. A. WALCHER ET AL RADIUS BAR Filed July 15, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 10, I938 PATENT OFFICE RADIUS BAR Edwin A. WalcherfCalumet City, and Walter H.

Baselt, Chicago, 111.,

Steel Foundries, New J ersey assignor's to American Chicago, 111., a corporation of Application .iuly'is, 1935', Serial No. 31,460 5- Claims. (o1. 188-219) This invention relates to a new and improved radius bar or horizontal equalizer for railway car brakes and more particularly to such a bar formed as an integral truss structure.

The radius bar or equalizer for railwayqcar brakes is usuallymounted on the truck and serves to connect the car body pull rod with the brake levers carried by the truck. Due to relative movement between the car body and truck, the connection between the body pull rod and radius bar is. a rolling or sliding one, the contact usually being upon a. circular arc. Also, there is atwisting action on the radius bar due to the relative change of position of the truck andcar body because of spring deflection, swiveling, and the like movements.

Radius bars have heretofore been constructed as built up members. comprising a plurality of parts riveted together or as a unitary solid bar. The built up radius bars have in: general consisted of two main members held together by additional members, all of which partsmust be carefully made and accurately assembled. Such a construction is expensive tomake and, due to: the fabricated. construction, requires a greater weight of. metalfor a given strength than aunt-- tary construction. On the other hand; a truss construction: is very desirable as making the most eiiicient use of a givenweight of metal; in this respect being superior to a solid metal bar.

It is therefore one of the objectsof this invention to incorporate in a radius bar the advantages of the truss type of construction while avoiding the disadvantages which have heretofore been present in radius bars of such form.

It is a. further object to provide a bar of this character which is formed integrally as a unitary member with openings formed therein.

It is also an object to provide a unitary truss construction comprising integral tension and compression members and struts.

It is an additional object to provide atruss construction in which the members andstruts form a window opening for the application of brake actuating. mechanism. i

It is another object to provide a construction which is simple in design and in installationand operation, and adapted for commercial produc tion. and use.

With these and various other objects in view.

the invention may consist of certain novel fea-.

tures of. construction and operation a's wilfbe morefully described andzparticularly pointed out in. the specification; drawings: and c pended hereto.

In the drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the-device, and wherein like reference charactersare usedto designate like parts- Figure 1 is a plan view of the radius rod;

Figure 2 is; a side elevation;

Figure 3 is aview as seen from the right end 5 of Figure 1 Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of one end of a truck construction showing the application thereto ofthe radius bar embodying the w invention;

. Figure 5' is a fragmentary end elevation of the truck construction and radius bar application illustrated in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a-n-:enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the radius bar and associated operating n'iechanism embodying the invention;

,Figure T is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken substantially in the plane indicated by the line- I -l ef Figure 6; l l t Figure 8 isan enlarged fragmentary top plan 20 view corresponding toFigure 6 showing a difterent fornr of operating means; wFig-ure 9 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation through a portion of a truck construction, brake operating mechanism and the associated car body showing the normal relative positions betweentheoperatingrod and theradius bar;

Figure 10 lis-a fragmentary sectional sideelevation corresponding to Figure 9showing the position'ofthe brake'mechanism and radius bar when the car body is in a lowered position as a result of thesprings being compressed under load;

Figure 1 1' is a fragmentary sectional side elevation corresponding to-Figure 9 showing the positionof the brake mechanism andradius bar when thecar body is in an abnormally high position such as it might assume when the springs were expanded-to a maximum, as may sometimes occur underservice conditions. 40

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 668,316. filed April 28, 1933.

1 Referring first of all more particularly to the unitary radius bar I0, such as illustrated in FiguresI Z and 3, said bar includes a tension member- ,I land compression member I2 joined into the integral reduced end portions l3 which carry thetrunnions I4. The trunnions I 4 carry theca'stellated'nuts l5 to retain the brake lever and radius bar connections in place. The radius bar is also provided with hinge brackets I6 which are riveted to the bar, and serve to connect the bar to supporting links.

The truss construction of the radius bar is completed by the integral struts which connect intermediate portions of the tension and compression members I I and I2 respectively, and the struts are so spaced as to form a window opening for the application of the brake actuating mechanism.

The radius bar is provided with wear plates I1 and I8, and wear plate I! has a vertically extending portion I9 which covers the inner face of the tension member II and serves as a contact surface or track for the roller carried by the body pull rod jaw, while each of the wear plates serves as a wear member for the operating means such as the jaws of the rod 64 formed by the straps, all as later described.

In forming the radius bar, it is preferably cut out of a single piece of steel with the trunnions formed on the ends in an upsetting machine. Due to the one piece construction it is less apt to give trouble in service than the built up design.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4 and 5, the truck 22 includes the side frame 24 and the end connecting members 26 secured to said side frame. Suitable brakes may be applied to each side of each of the wheels 29. In the construction shown, the brake rigging is similar to that illustrated and particularly described in Baselt Patent No. 2,002,930, granted May 28, 1930. On each side of the wheels suitable brake levers are provided, having brake shoes, and connected by the spaced pull rods 21, the end brake lever 28 being a dead lever and pivotally connected to the bracket 30 provided on the end rail 26, the brake lever being provided with the pivotally mounted head 32 intermediate the ends thereof. The inner brake lever 34 is a live brake lever, being supported by means of the brake hangers 36 pivoted as at 38 to the side frame. The live brake lever is also provided with a suitable brake shoe and the upper end of said lever is pivotally connected through the clevis 40 to the live horizontal lever 42, the outer end of said live lever being pivotally connected as at 44 to the pull rod 46 connected to a similar horizontal lever associated with the adjacent wheel.

The pull rod 48 is pivotally connected as at 50 to the horizontal lever 42 intermediate the ends thereof, the other end of said pull rod being connected as at 52 to the trunnion I4 of the radius bar I0, and being fastened thereto by means. of the nut I5. The release spring 54 is mounted on the bar 56 slidably mounted in the bracket 58 provided on the side frame, the other end of said bar being connected through the bracket 60 to the pull rod 48, the spring being confined between the bracket 58 and the retainer 62 provided on said bar. Hand or other operating means may be provided for operating the brake rigging through the radius bar. In this case the operating means directly connected to said bar may take the form of the rod 64, the end thereof being formed with the jaw 66 embracing the radius bar, said jaw between the tension and compression members being provided with the roller 68 adapted to have rolling contact with the arcuate wear member I9 whereby the brakes may be equalized regardless of the angularity between the operating means and the truck or radius bar.

The support for the radius bar on the truck is provided by means of the supporting levers I0 pivotally mounted as at I2 to suitable brackets 14 provided on the end member26. The upper ends of said supports are pivotally mounted as at I6 to the bracket I6 provided on the radius bars in substantial alignment with the struts 20 thereof.

In order to more adequately illustrate the relative positions of the parts of the operating means and the radius bar, a reference may be had to Figures 6 and '7. The operating rod or body pull rod 64 provided with the jaws 66 is disposed so that the jaws embrace the tension and compression members I I and I2 of the radius bar. The roller 68 is pivotally connected as at 18' to the upper and lower jaws 86 and 82 so that the roller is disposed between the tension and compression members and has a rolling contact with the vertically extending leg IQ of the member II, said member being connected as by the rivets 84 to the tension member II.

The upper jaw 80 is provided with the rubbing strip and reenforcing member 86 adapted to have sliding contact with the top of the tension member II when the parts are in normal position, that is, when the car body is light or substantially without load. The lower jaw 82 is provided with the reenforcing or rubber strip 88 secured thereto as by means of the rivets 96 and adapted to have sliding contact with the member I8 secured on the under side of the compression member I2.

The end of the operating rod 64, in the construction shown in Figures 6 and '7, is pivotally connected as at 92 to the dead operating lever 94 pivotally connected as at 96 to the car body, said lever being adapted to be operated by the rod 98 operated either by a cylinder or hand operating means.

In the construction illustrated in Figure 8, the operating rod I64 is similar to the operating rod 64, the end removed from the radius bar being shown as provided with the flexible connection I00 for operation by a brake staff or other operating means.

In order to show certain of the functions of the reenforcing or wear plates Ill and I8, a reference may be had to Figures 9, 10 and 11, as well as Figures '7 and 8. The truck frame I02 is shown as provided with the depending pedestals I04 adapted to accommodate journal means (not shown) having cooperative engagement with the axles I06 of the wheel and axle assemblies I08. Brakes such as shown and described in Figures 4 and 5 may be used. The truck frame is provided with the end member H0 to which the brake I4 is secured, as has already been described with respect to Figures. 4 and 5.

The radius bar I I and the associated operating rod 64 are shown, the operating lever 94 being pivoted as at 92 to the jaw II2 of the rod 64. A

support H4 is provided on the car body II'B for slidably supporting the dead lever 94 and its associated mechanism. It will thus be seen that when there is no relative change of position between the car body H6 and the truck frame I02, the wear plate 86 rests upon the tension member II.

In operation, it has been found advisable and necessary to provide a wear plate II on the bottom of tension member II, said wear plate being provided with the upwardly extending leg I9 adapted to form a track for the roller 68. The wear plate I8 is provided on the under side of the compression member I2 and adapted to have: sliding contact with the wear member 88 provided on the lower jaw 82.

The wear member is provided both on the compression member and on the jaw due to the extreme conditions of operation when tipping of the radius bar occurs. When the car body moves downwardly under load as viewed in Figure 10, the wear plates I8 and 88 come into contact and the wear member I! is contacted by the lower jaw 82 so that when angling occurs the wear is taken through the wear members, and the lower jaw of the operating rod 64. The same operation between the wear plates l8 and 88, and the lower jaw of the wear member I! occurs when there is upward movement at the right side of the car as viewed in Figure 11. It is understood that under some conditions of operation the jaw of the rod 64 may contact the radius bar in, other than the described positions which are, however, illustrations of the most usual conditions which determine the position of the wearing and reenforcing members. Thus, not only do the wear plates prevent wear of the radius bar, but they also perform the function of stiffening the radius bar, and the member l9 also forms a track for the operating roller. It is comparatively easy to replace the operating rod 64 or the wear plates, and this may be done comparatively inexpensively, and a stronger and lighter bar can also be provided.

Thus, with the construction shown, the wear members perform a plurality of functions which obviate the necessity of replacing the radius bar.

It is to be understood that we do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown, which are merely by way of illustration and not limitation, as various and other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is i 1. In a brake arrangement, the combination of brake rigging, a radius bar connected to said rigging, said bar being substantially of truss construction including tension and compression members merging adjacent the ends thereof and having a window therebetween, said tension member having a wear member on the lower side thereof and extending into said window to form a track therein, a wear plate on the lower side of said compression member, and a pull rod for moving said radius bar to operate said rigging, said rod having a bifurcated jaw receiving said radius bar, said jaw including upper and lower members connected by a member disposed in said window and adapted to engage and slide on said track, a wear plate on said upper member over said tension member, and a wear plate on said lower member below said compression member.

2. In a brake arrangement, the combination of brake rigging, a radius bar connected to said rigging, said bar being substantially of truss construction including tension and compression members merging adjacent the ends thereof and having a window therebetween, said tension memher having a wear member on the lower side thereof and extending into said window to form a track therein, a wear plate on the lower side of said compression member, and a pull rod for moving said radius bar to operate said rigging, said rod having a bifurcated jaw receiving said radius bar, said jaw including upper and lower members connected by a member disposed in said window and adapted to engage and slide on said track.

3. In a brake arrangement, the combination of brake rigging, a radius bar connected to said rigging, said bar being substantially of truss con-- struction including tension and compression members merging adjacent the ends thereof and having a window therebetween, said tension member having a wear member on one side thereof and extending into said window to form a track therein, a wear plate on the lower side of said compression member, and a pull rod for moving said radius bar to operate said rigging, said rod having a bifurcated jaw receiving said radius bar, said jaw including upper and lower members connected by a member disposed in said window and adapted to engage and slide on said track.

4. In a brake arrangement, the combination of brake rigging, a radius bar connected to said rigging, said bar being substantially of truss construction including tension and compression members merging adjacent the ends thereof and having a window therebetween, said tension member having a wear member on one side thereof and extending into said window to form a track therein, a wear plate on one side of said compression member, and a pull rod for moving said radius bar to operate said rigging, said rod having a bifurcated jaw receiving said radius bar, said jaw including upper and lower members connected by a member disposed in said window and adapted to engage and slide on said track.

5. In a brake arrangement, the combination of brake rigging, a radius bar connected to said rigging, said bar being substantially of truss construction including tension and compression members merging adjacent the ends thereof and having a window therebetween, said tension member having a wear member on one side thereof and extending into said window to form a track therein, a wear plate on the same side of said compression member, and a pull rod for moving said radius bar to operate said rigging, said rod having a bifurcated jaw receiving said radius bar, said jaw including upper and lower members connected by a member disposed in said window and adapted to engage and slide on said track.

EDWIN A. WALCHER. WALTER H. BASELT. 

